chocolate creams and christmas murder

Larch Haven, Vermont, is a charming small town. There are no cars or trucks, but there are canals where gondolas transport people through town. But when the year is closing out and the holidays are coming fast, the canals are frozen and perfect for ice skating. Becca Ransom has moved back home after several years in Los Angeles, where she had been an actor in a hit show. But now she’s back in Vermont, working as a chocolatier in her family’s chocolate shop, and she couldn’t be happier.

True Confections was started by her grandmother and now Becca makes the chocolates and her cousin Angela runs the business side. It’s a perfect setup for Becca, and she enjoys the quiet nights at home with her two cats, Truffles and Binx. But there is a baking competition coming to town, and her best friend Dizzy thinks Becca should join in and give it a shot.

It’s the third annual Baking Spirits Bright competition, and there are two rounds. In the first round, the 16 competitors are grouped into fours, and each group gets 90 minutes to bake two treats. Once everyone has baked, the judges will decide which four bakers will make it to the final round. Becca is in the first group to bake, so she can make her candy cane bonbons and not have to spend a lot of time worrying about the other contestants. After all, there is Irma Jones, who owns a local bakery. And Roman Kafka, the pastry chef from Becca’s brother’s restaurant. And there is Stephanie Kang, who owns a cake shop and makes Becca’s favorite cupcakes, and food blogger and influencer Amber Dubois.

Becca and her delicious chocolates and gingerbread make it through to the final round, along with Irma, Stephanie, and Roman. But when Becca and Stephanie arrive early to drop off their baking materials, they find Irma already there. But she is in no condition to bake. Someone has killed her.

The baking competition is postponed while the police investigate, but they don’t have any answers several days later. Becca gets the text that the competition is moving forward, with food blogger Amber taking Irma’s place. Becca decides to focus on the competition and do her best. For the five-hour competition, she has planned out Larch Haven in summer, with gingerbread shops and cottages, chocolate gondolas on sugar-glass canals, and mountains made of chocolate cake. But before they can get going, Amber bumps into her, spilling coffee all over Becca’s shirt.

Becca finds a light sweater she can wear instead, but as she makes her way back downstairs to where the competition kitchens are set up, someone pushes her from behind. Becca is okay, bruised and with a sore wrist, but she can still compete. But the police are concerned that these bakers are in danger. One has been killed and another attacked. Is that about Baking Spirits Bright, or is there something else going on in the small town?

Baking Spirits Bright is the second book in Sarah Fox’s True Confections Mystery series. And while the mystery is layered, with red herrings and twists throughout, I thought the real charm of this book was the town. Between the Christmas festivities and the layout of the town, I think it would be so much fun to live there or even to visit. Especially since the small town has a chocolate shop, a bakery, a cake shop, and a bookstore. I mean, what more do you need?

I thought Baking Spirits Bright was a fun cozy. I loved the baking competition, and the characters were interesting. I haven’t read the first one in the series yet, but I will need to go back and get caught up, just to hang out in Larch Haven some more. I think this series has a lot of potential, and I look forward to seeing what kind of trouble Becca finds herself in next.

Egalleys for Baking Spirits Bright were provided by Berkley through NetGalley, with many thanks.